This week I did something at my place that I've been wanting to do for a long time.....I let the sun shine in.

We live on this amazing street - Evergreen Ave - so named because before it was urban, it was apparently, an evergreen tree nursery. Every home on our street has evergreens in their yard and that's a great thing for beauty and privacy and all that....but after many many years, some of the evergreens are overgrown, some are diseased and the 2 gigantic ones in front of our house in particular were almost completely blocking the view of the house from the street. On top of that, we had NO light in our living room. So...we tackled them this week.

The "before" shot - you can see my garage, the "people" door, the window above my kitchen sink and you can see that there is another window there but not all of it.

Within 1/2 hour this is the pile of branches we'd cut off.

By "we" I mean this guy - my next door neighbour Bob. He's amazing - a superhero on a ladder. He kept saying while he was up there that he was having so much fun and that he loved his ladder. I just kept thanking God for such an amazing neighbour.

After only 1/2 hour of cutting, this was already the change in the scene.

45 minutes in I felt like I had palm trees in my front yard and inside the house was already filling with beautiful sunshine.

Another neighbour/friend came over to scavange some of the boughs for Christmas decorating....and then after she'd brought them home, she came back and helped out for nearly 2 hours - I love you Joyce. You have no idea how loudly your service speaks to me.

My parents arrived (that's my Dad on the left) and my BF Maria's husband Phil came with chainsaws. In no time at all, they had the rest of the trees down (this one with a split trunk, and the single-trunked one beside it).

Here's the video of the first tree coming down:

Once down, we chopped up the trunks in the front yard.

That big pile of boughs was too tempting - of course E had to have a little jump in them!

A nice little stack of firewood to give to another friend who heats with wood.

My parents (Mom & Dad here throwing branches into the back of their truck and Ernie & Joyce's trailer)

Thanks so much Mom & Dad - I am overwhelmed by your support - not just here but always.

Also helping load were Joyce, of course, and Lynette (not pictured - but that's her son in the foreground). Love you guys!!

Today (Saturday), Ernie & Joyce came back and helped me shovel up this trailer-load full of roots and needles. I couldn't leave them there or I'd never have any grass. They loaded them all up, took them to the dump for me, brought me 2 loads of dirt and grass seed, leveled the yard and planted the seed for me. If that wasn't enough - they blessed me with free labour and only charged me for dirt & seed. I gave them a little extra but I'm sure it barely covered their gas. I cannot say it enough times: I have THE BEST FRIENDS in the world. And to have so many friends and neighbours who are willing to pitch in for me - Priceless.

This is the street view after the trees were gone and hauled away (the needles are still there in this picture but can you see how big my yard is?? And check out all the windows I have in my house!!!

This morning I woke up to my boys playing TechDecks in the living room - with the light off...because THEY HAD SUN! It was lovely. I don't think we turned the lights on in the house all day today. Love it.